Effect of positioning on the accuracy of decision making of association football top-class referees and assistant referees during competitive matches

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of positioning on the correctness of decision making of top-class referees and assistant referees during international games. Match analyses were carried out during the Fe´de´ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Confederations Cup 2009 and 380 foul play incidents and 165 offside situations were examined. The error percentage for the referees when indicating the incidents averaged 14%. The lowest error percentage occurred in the central area of the field, where the collaboration of the assistant referee is limited, and was achieved when indicating the incidents from a distance of 11–15 m, whereas this percentage peaked (23%) in the last 15-min match period. The error rate for the assistant referees was 13%. Distance of the assistant referee to the offside line did not have an impact on the quality of the offside decision. The risk of making incorrect decisions was reduced when the assistant referees viewed the offside situations from an angle between 46 and 608. Incorrect offside decisions occurred twice as often in the second as in the first half of the games. Perceptual-cognitive training sessions specific to the requirements of the game should be implemented in the weekly schedule of football officials to reduce the overall error rate.

Quantitative assessment based on kinematic measures of functional impairments during upper extremity movements: a review

Quantitative measures of human movement quality are important for discriminating healthy and pathological conditions and for expressing the outcomes and clinically important changes in subjects' functional state. However the most frequently used instruments for the upper extremity functional assessment are clinical scales, that previously have been standardized and validated, but have a high subjective component depending on the observer who scores the test. But they are not enough to assess motor strategies used during movements, and their use in combination with other more objective measures is necessary. The objective of the present review is to provide an overview on objective metrics found in literature with the aim of quantifying the upper extremity performance during functional tasks, regardless of the equipment or system used for registering kinematic data.

Evaluation of the competitiveness of agri-food sector in the región of the Alcarria Conquense(Spain)

The agrifood industry, like other sectors, faces the ongoing challenge of improving their competitiveness in order to strengthen its market presence and cater to the growing global population. This research measures the competitiveness of the agrifood industry in the region of La Alcarria Conquense (Spain), in the framework of the evaluation of programs in the territory that have aimed at improving and enhancing this sector. Through building the competitiveness profiles (Porter, 1990) and cluster analysis we have identified six competitive strategy patterns in food companies in the region. In addition, we have analyzed each of the areas of competitiveness and we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, and identify recommendations for increasing the responsiveness of the territory. Among the defining characteristics are the lack of association, the limitation on payment systems or virtual absence of training and innovation. However, programs to support the sector are highly valued and reverse in the long-term viability of these companies.